Hi everyone,
Recently came across the term *left-digit bias*, which seems to be attributed to researchers Manoj Thomas and Vicki Morowitz. I know it’s not new and thus might be obvious to those who have kept up with the research.
Could you please explain: What exactly does it mean? What are the major theories of how it functions/what triggers it in terms of perception and processing? Is it in any way associated with literacy or numeracy (i.e., is it weaker in right-to-left reading languages like Arabic or in people with stronger mathematical skills)?
Tried to read the OG papers. Not my domain, so I assume I’m grossly misunderstanding what it is and how it actually works. TIA!
Note: Reposted from the behavioral economics sub, thus the economics flair. Not sure if the same phenomenon exists under a different name in any other domains.
In: Economics
It’s related to another bias called “Anchoring.”
Anchoring is where the first number you hear sets your expectations. For example, if we’re negotiating a price for something, and the first suggested amount is $500, then it sets expectations that further suggestions should be around $500.
Since we read from left to right, Left-Digit bias works the same way. When reading the price “$4.99” we first read “$4” which anchors us to the price being around $4, before reading “.99.” This means the prices “$4.99″ vs.”$5.00” can feel closer to “$4.00” vs. “$5.00” even though the real prices are only 1 cent apart.
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